In the Book Forum I recently posted a list of reference books on the subject of rigging. I am posting am slightly expanded version here from a long ago ship model club presentation that might be useful for assisting in scratch rigging. If anyone is interesting in purchasing one of these books, I suggest trying one of the many on-line used book sites since prices will be much less than for a new copy (if still in print).
Sorry everyone, I'm having trouble attaching the pdf file so I'll copy the text here instead:
11. Lever’s Young Officers Sheet
Darcy Lever Many reprinted editions available of the original (Inexpensive)
This well known book covers all aspects of seamanship, but has some great descriptive illustrations of how various pieces of rigging appear on British ships in the early 1800’s. When it comes to rigging one picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
12. The Kedge or Young Sailors Assistant
William N. Brady Many reprinted editions available of the original (Inexpensive)
As with Lever’s book this is a general treatise on seamanship pertaining to U.S. practice in the late 1800’s. It is worth having primarily for the tables showing the size of rigging lines, masts and yards for various classes of ships.
Establishing Rigging Plans for Sailing Ships
Purchased plans for scratch building usually do not include a complete plan for the rigging. And in the rigging plans provided in kits, the rigging often represents a mish-mash of different rigging styles and is not very accurate. Ship’s rigging varied with the era, size and type of ship, and the country of origin. Fortunately the modeler who needs to devise a rigging plan or would like to improve the quality of the rigging in a kit has a large number of reference books that can be consulted to come up with rigging appropriate for a particular vessel. Here is good starting list of books that I have found useful.
1. The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600 - 1720
R.C. Anderson Dover (Inexpensive)
Masting and rigging practices for British and European ships (3-masts)
2. Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging
K.H. Marquardt Phoenix Publications
Masting and rigging practices for British and European ships. Includes rigs for two-masted and single-masted vessels as well as boats. Shows the cut and shapes of various sails and the proportions of different kinds of blocks.
Steel's tables of rigging (1794) for various size ships are reproduced as well as rigging tables for British ships in 1711. If you can only own one rigging book, this one is the most encyclopedic.
3. The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1625 - 1860
James Lees Naval Institute Press
Masting and rigging practices for English warships including design of tops, sails and block proportions. Rules are given for sizing the rigging. Belaying plans are shown for vessels of various sizes.
This is the most comprehensive reference available for British and American ships (pre-1800), and is highly recommended.
4. Rigging Period Ship Models
L. Petersson Naval Institute Press
This book consists of a series of detailed drawings for rigging a British frigate of 1785 (Melampus, 18 36-pounders). It is a helpful guide for actually doing rigging. A belaying plan is given but not the rigging sizes.
5. Any volume in the Anatomy of a Ship Series (Naval Institute Press)
This series of books covers the construction of a large variety of sailing ships from cutters to 74-gun ships. The rigging plans shown are usually about 80% complete and are sufficient to rig a ship with the help of one of the above references. The Bounty volume is particularly detailed and gives a rigging table showing the size of all rigging. Rigging practice seems to conform closely to the descriptions by Lees.
6. The Art of Rigging
George Biddlecombe Dover (Inexpensive)
This book covers American rigging practices in the mid-1800's. Rigging diagrams are given for various vessels, but they are hard to read in the Dover edition. This book is most useful for the detailed rigging tables that give the type and size of the rigging on different kinds of vessels.
7. Rigging Period Fore and Aft Craft
Lennarth Petersson Naval Institute Press
Detailed rigging diagrams are given for a British cutter, a French lugger, and
an American Schooner.
8. Spars and Rigging from Nautical Routine, 1849
John McLeod Murphy and W.N. Jeffers Dover (Inexpensive)
Rigging practices for U.S. Navy ships in the 1840’s, including information
on sizing the rigging.
9. Building Plank-on-Frame Ship Models
Ron McCarthy Conway (Inexpensive)
This book gives detailed instructions for building a model of the Royal Navy
two-masted, snow rigged Cruiser, circa 1752. The chapters on rigging give
rigging plans, many useful diagrams, and detailed descriptions. This is a
excellent reference book for all aspects of modeling.
10. The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship
David Steel On line version: www.hnsa.org/doc/steel/index.htm
A essential reference for British ships in the late 1700’s. This is a
comprehensive textbook of rigging, seamanship and naval tactics.
Construction of masts and yards, sizing of rigging and blocks and the rigging
appropriate to various vessels, presented in tables, is extremely useful, and
free on-line!
Purchased plans for scratch building usually do not include a complete plan for the rigging. And in the rigging plans provided in kits, the rigging often represents a mish-mash of different rigging styles and is not very accurate. Ship’s rigging varied with the era, size and type of ship, and the country of origin. Fortunately the modeler who needs to devise a rigging plan or would like to improve the quality of the rigging in a kit has a large number of reference books that can be consulted to come up with rigging appropriate for a particular vessel. Here is good starting list of books that I have found useful.
1. The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600 - 1720
R.C. Anderson Dover (Inexpensive)
Masting and rigging practices for British and European ships (3-masts)
2. Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging
K.H. Marquardt Phoenix Publications
Masting and rigging practices for British and European ships. Includes rigs for two-masted and single-masted vessels as well as boats. Shows the cut and shapes of various sails and the proportions of different kinds of blocks.
Steel's tables of rigging (1794) for various size ships are reproduced as well as rigging tables for British ships in 1711. If you can only own one rigging book, this one is the most encyclopedic.
3. The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War, 1625 - 1860
James Lees Naval Institute Press
Masting and rigging practices for English warships including design of tops, sails and block proportions. Rules are given for sizing the rigging. Belaying plans are shown for vessels of various sizes.
This is the most comprehensive reference available for British and American ships (pre-1800), and is highly recommended.
4. Rigging Period Ship Models
L. Petersson Naval Institute Press
This book consists of a series of detailed drawings for rigging a British frigate of 1785 (Melampus, 18 36-pounders). It is a helpful guide for actually doing rigging. A belaying plan is given but not the rigging sizes.
5. Any volume in the Anatomy of a Ship Series (Naval Institute Press)
This series of books covers the construction of a large variety of sailing ships from cutters to 74-gun ships. The rigging plans shown are usually about 80% complete and are sufficient to rig a ship with the help of one of the above references. The Bounty volume is particularly detailed and gives a rigging table showing the size of all rigging. Rigging practice seems to conform closely to the descriptions by Lees.
6. The Art of Rigging
George Biddlecombe Dover (Inexpensive)
This book covers American rigging practices in the mid-1800's. Rigging diagrams are given for various vessels, but they are hard to read in the Dover edition. This book is most useful for the detailed rigging tables that give the type and size of the rigging on different kinds of vessels.
7. Rigging Period Fore and Aft Craft
Lennarth Petersson Naval Institute Press
Detailed rigging diagrams are given for a British cutter, a French lugger, and
an American Schooner.
8. Spars and Rigging from Nautical Routine, 1849
John McLeod Murphy and W.N. Jeffers Dover (Inexpensive)
Rigging practices for U.S. Navy ships in the 1840’s, including information
on sizing the rigging.
9. Building Plank-on-Frame Ship Models
Ron McCarthy Conway (Inexpensive)
This book gives detailed instructions for building a model of the Royal Navy
two-masted, snow rigged Cruiser, circa 1752. The chapters on rigging give
rigging plans, many useful diagrams, and detailed descriptions. This is a
excellent reference book for all aspects of modeling.
10. The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship
David Steel On line version: www.hnsa.org/doc/steel/index.htm
A essential reference for British ships in the late 1700’s. This is a
comprehensive textbook of rigging, seamanship and naval tactics.
Construction of masts and yards, sizing of rigging and blocks and the rigging
appropriate to various vessels, presented in tables, is extremely useful, and
free on-line!
11. Lever’s Young Officers Sheet
Darcy Lever Many reprinted editions available of the original (Inexpensive)
This well known book covers all aspects of seamanship, but has some great descriptive illustrations of how various pieces of rigging appear on British ships in the early 1800’s. When it comes to rigging one picture is indeed worth a thousand words.
12. The Kedge
or Young Sailors AssistantWilliam N. Brady Many reprinted editions available of the original (Inexpensive)
As with Lever’s book this is a general treatise on seamanship pertaining to U.S. practice in the late 1800’s. It is worth having primarily for the tables showing the size of rigging lines, masts and yards for various classes of ships.